Unit Plan 22 (Grade 2 Social Studies): How Families Preserve Traditions

Focus: Explore how families and cultures keep traditions alive through stories, celebrations, foods, and special activities; practice asking good questions and sharing what we learn.

Grade Level: 2

Subject Area: Social Studies (History • Inquiry)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 30–45 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students discover that families and cultures have special traditions that are passed down over time. Through read-alouds, class discussions, and a simple family interview, students learn how traditions are shared through stories, holidays, foods, music, and activities. They practice asking who/what/why questions, listening carefully to family members, and then retelling what they learned in kid-friendly language. By the end of the week, students create a “Family Tradition Story Page” or mini-book to show one tradition and how it is preserved and shared.

Essential Questions

• What is a tradition, and how do families and cultures keep traditions alive?
• How do stories, holidays, foods, and activities help us remember our family history?
• How can we ask good questions to learn more about our family’s or community’s traditions?
• How can we respect and celebrate different traditions in our classroom?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Define tradition in simple terms and identify at least one tradition from their own family or community.
2. Ask and refine who/what/why questions to use in a family interview about a tradition.
3. Use information from a family member or caregiver (spoken story, photo, or note) to describe how a tradition is preserved and shared.
4. Compare classroom examples of traditions and notice similarities and differences (e.g., kinds of foods, activities, stories).
5. Create a “Family Tradition Story Page” with a picture and a few sentences explaining what the tradition is, who participates, and how it is passed down.

Standards Alignment — 2nd Grade (C3-based custom)

• 2.C3.Hist.4 — Describe family and cultural traditions and how they are preserved and shared.
  • Example: Interview a family member and share a tradition with the class.
• 2.C3.Inq.1 — Ask and refine questions that can be investigated with sources.
  • Example: “How do rules in our town help people stay safe?” (adapted here for family traditions).

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can tell what a tradition is and give an example from my family or community.
• I can write or say questions to ask a family member about a tradition.
• I can explain how one tradition is kept alive (through stories, celebrations, or activities).
• I can listen to or read information about a tradition and then retell it in my own words.
• I can make a Family Tradition Story Page that clearly shows my tradition and why it is important.